If you’re anything like me, repetitiveness and monotony can send you into a downward spiral of boredom. When it comes to exercising, mixing it up is a great way to keep yourself interested but also keep your body guessing. Over time, your body gets used to the same workouts over and over and eventually they begin to become less effective. By adding new types of workouts or just simply being in a new environment, you can target different muscles at different intensities to get the most out of your workouts.
1. Pole Dancing
I have taken a pole dancing class before and although it may seem awkward or like a ridiculous form of exercise, it was one of the hardest, most fun workouts I’ve ever done. Although the higher levels of pole dancing take an incredible amount of upper body and core strength, the beginner level classes are intense but fun and enjoyable. Grad some of your girlfriends and head down to Fitness with a Twist in SouthSide (on Thursday nights) for ladies college night for an entertaining and discounted workout. I promise you won’t regret it!
2. Phone Apps
Probably one of the easiest, most inexpensive ways to get a good workout is by free phone apps. The Nike Training app is one that everyone should have. It gives you a wide variety of high intensity cardio and strength workouts to choose from based on your abilities and what your goals are (get toned, get lean, or get strong). You can choose specific workouts from a list or you can set up a 4 week program based on the same parameters. These workouts incorporate cardio, weight training, and core all within 15, 30, or 45 minutes of almost constant movement. These are great when you don’t have a lot of time or you want something of high intensity that is quick and extremely effective.
3. The Playground
Many people don’t think of playgrounds as a place to get a good workout but there are so many different exercises you can do to get in a satisfying workout and being outside is much more enjoyable than being inside of a gym. One major benefit of utilizing a playground is that you get a decent amount of cardio in just by running to the playground; then you can use the different parts of the playground, like the monkey bars, stairs, ladders, swings, etc., to get a full body workout. One of the closest playgrounds on Pitt’s campus is up past Phipps and over the bridge overlooking Schenley.
4. Intramural Sports
Intramural sports are a great way to have fun with your friends while being active. Many people who play sports for club teams or in high school don’t continue playing once they reach college. Playing on an intramural team gets you back out onto the field or the court without having to put in a huge time commitment or be a Division-1 athlete. Teams meet once a week after night classes so there are little to no scheduling conflicts. Put together a team, no matter your skill level, and have some fun while still getting your daily workout in!
5. TRX
Most people have never heard of TRX or have heard of it but don’t really know what it is. TRX is a type of suspension training that involves just your bodyweight while adding in factors like stability and balance. A great thing about TRX is that once you buy the bands, the possibilities are endless! You can work out in your house, in your hotel room, outside, or anywhere. There are so many different types of workouts you can do and you can target every muscle group while always engaging your core due to the stability and balance aspect of it. You are in control of how difficult you want the workouts to be because you can change the difficulty just by shifting your bodyweight. TRX is an amazing workout that gets you out of the gym and shows you a new way to get a complete, full body workout, without picking up some weights.